Hear Me
by Liz Hollow
Summary: Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley haven't seen each other for over two years. When they finally meet up again, Ron asks Hermione out to dinner, but she says no. Then they find out about this singing contest, with a huge prize, and they both sign up.


His brown eyes scanned her for a moment, and he ran a pale hand through his thick scarlet hair. He couldn't believe how much she had changed in the course of two years. He was still tall and gangly, and he still had freckles planted all over his face. He stuffed his hands into his pocket, looked bewildered.  
She was still short, yes, and she still had the bushiest hair he had ever seen in his life, but the rest of her physical appearances had changed. She was thinner, and you could see her curves. Her eyes had a magnificent glow to them, and her lips were as red as ever as they formed a smile.  
He was a half-foot or more taller than her, and it seemed like he was ten times wider than her, but he wasn't. He stood gaping at her for a moment, before breaking into a smile like she had.

"Hermione! I can't believe it's you…I mean…you look so…different," he exclaimed, pulling his hands out of his pockets. "I haven't seen you in so long." He pulled her into a hug, though Hermione had to stand on her toes hug him back.  
"Ever since we got out of school…it's been crazy. I haven't had the chance to call you, or owl you, or see you. Or Harry. I've been training to be a Healer for the past two years. Oh, it's so great to see you Ron!" she sighed, letting go of him. "Have you heard from Harry?"  
Ron nodded, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "We're in the same Auror training class. He and Ginny are going out…have you heard?"  
Hermione shook her head, but a smile was glued on her face, never fading a bit. "I always knew they'd be together. They make a good couple. Have you been seeing anyone?" she asked.

Ron laughed, and pulled his hands out of his pockets once more, gesturing around him. "If I was, I wouldn't be walking around Diagon Alley alone, now would I? I suppose I can say the same about you?" he asked, and Hermione nodded.  
"I was just going to visit Fred and George, partially to see if you were there. They're doing well, aren't they? They're very popular," she said, looking down the road.  
"Yeah. Do you want to go? I'll le—"  
"Come with me!" she yelled excitedly, grabbing his hand and pulling him down the road towards a building with a sign that read, "Weasley's Wizards Wheezes." She looked back at him before entering the shop and walking to the counter.

Two redheaded Weasley's turned around and looked at Hermione and Ron, each dropping the box they were holding. "Blimey Hermione, is that you?" one of them asked. He wore a sweater with the letter "F" imprinted on it, signaling that he was Fred Weasley.  
"Oy, are you two finally together?" the other asked, wearing a sweater that had the letter "G" on it, symbolizing that he was George Weasley. He gestured to Hermione's lock on Ron's hand, smiling wickedly.

Hermione blushed deeply and let go of Ron's hand, shaking her head. "And what do you mean finally?" she asked crossly.  
The two twins looked at each other, then back at Hermione, nodding. "Definitely Hermione Granger. With that feisty spirit of her's…" Fred said.  
Hermione glared at them, but laughed slightly after. "How's the business? It seems to be going well," she said, looking back into the shop. Customers were screaming and yelling, especially the little girls and boys, and two little boys seemed to be fighting over the last of one item.

Fred and George laughed, leaning on the counter so they were closer to Ron and Hermione. "Some of the costumers are annoying the hell out of us. Those two little boys over there…they come in the shop every day and fight over something different. We need a box just for them, but they'd probably still fight over something. The number of berries on the Sticking Mistletoe. The number of scratches they received from the Scratching Flower…they're crazy, I'll tell you," George explained, and Ron laughed.  
Fred looked over at Ron, shaking his head, before looking back at Hermione. "Why hasn't anyone seen you for the past two years?" he asked.

"Healer training. It's brutal…I'm lucky to be here right now," Hermione sighed.  
"You mean…they'd kill you?" Ron asked, now getting engaged into the conversation. Hermione smiled, but shook her head.  
"I mean this is the first day off from training I've had…well, except that one time I skipped it, but I was really sick, I had to. If I didn't then I—"  
"Still work obsessed, are you?" George asked.  
Hermione glared at him, folding her arms across her chest. "I never was work obsessed," she argued, and Fred and George snorted. She rolled her eyes, and Ron chuckled.

She looked at her watch, and her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Ron! I have to go…I promised my friend Janie I'd meet her somewhere. I'll see you some other time Ron, you too Fred, George," she ran out of the shop, followed closely behind by Ron.  
"Hermione, wait!" he yelled, and Hermione slowed down, turning around and walking backwards.  
"What!" she yelled back.  
He caught up pretty quickly, but took a few seconds to catch his breath. "I…was just wondering…whether you would like to accompany me to dinner whenever you're free this week?" he asked.  
Hermione blushed a dark crimson, and looked down at her feet. "I…I can't. Not…I would love to…but…I just can't. I'm not…I have to go," she stammered, and turned around to continue walking, leaving Ron alone in the crowd.

He sighed, looking at a source of flashing lights that was annoying him so much. There, in a window, was a sign, outlined in the flashing lights, which read:

"Looking for some extra cash?  
Then have we got the thing for you.  
A singing contest, just for some fun.  
But the prize is over one hundred galleons.  
You can sing to the one you love, whether that be a person, your cat, or the PRIZE!  
Just try it!  
You have nothing to lose.  
Open to EVERYONE at the Leaky Cauldron on Saturday at 8:00 p.m.!"

Ron stared at the sign for a moment, but sighed angrily, walking back into the crowd towards nowhere.

**  
**  
Hermione felt horrible throughout her whole meeting with her follow worker Janie. She couldn't believe that she had just had just turned Ron down like that. She didn't know why. She loved him…but just as a friend, or more? She wasn't sure. She left, with a smile to Janie. Though she didn't eat much, her stomach was sick.  
She had seen a flashing sign, and one line kept replaying in her head. i You can sing to the one you love. /i She couldn't sing. She didn't even know if she loved Ron. She hated that sign. She hated the Leaky Cauldron for putting up the stupid sign. She hated her Healer training for not giving her time to visit her old friends. She hated everything right now, even her friends.  
When she got home she collapsed onto her bed, closing her eyes. Her eyes were red, as though she had been crying. Her nose was runny, and she wanted to sleep.  
She crawled into her bed, without bothering to change, and closed her eyes again, sleeping.**  
**She couldn't deny it. She was lonely.

**  
** ****

He felt lost for once in his life. He had been fine until he saw Hermione again. She was just so damn beautiful. And so damn nice to him. How had he survived the past two years without her? How was he supposed to survive now without her?  
His head was spinning. He got out of his bed and got dressed. He didn't know what to do today. He didn't have Auror training, and Harry was probably out with Ginny. Hermione didn't want to be with him, and he didn't want to stay with any of his brothers. Today was going to be a bad day. He could just feel it. He wanted to forget Hermione.

i What's today? /i he asked himself. i Saturday. /i Saturday? Maybe today wouldn't be such a bad day. He had never had experience singing, in fact…he never remembered singing anything in his whole life. Maybe when he was a cute and adorable five-year-old, but he didn't remember that.  
The sign was right. He had nothing to lose. Plus, the prize was one hundred galleons…maybe by some miracle he would win. It was worth a try, right? He just needed a song…then he'd be all set.****

i I'm crazy for doing this, /i she told herself, opening the doors to the Leaky Cauldron, and taking a set in front of the stage they had set up with the tables. i Ron's a friend, remember. He was just asking you out for dinner. It doesn't mean anything. So you're singing for Ron as a friend. You know he won't be here anyways. /i  
There was already a performer on stage. Hermione wanted to cover her ears; the person on the stage was horrible. Luckily, they ended quickly after Hermione took her seat. But it seemed like they ended after hours of horrible singing.

She looked around behind her, and saw Harry and Ginny sitting four rows back. She stood up as the next person started and moved back to their row, prodding Ginny's arm with her hand. Ginny jumped, and both she and Harry looked over at Hermione. "Hermione!" Ginny nearly screamed, and several heads turned to look at her. She blushed, but smiled happily at Hermione. Harry had the same grin on his face.  
They both got up to hug her, but there was complaining in back of them, so they quickly sat down; Hermione sat on the floor.

"What are you doing here? How come you haven't been in touch? How are you doing?" Ginny demanded, and Hermione giggled.  
"I'm here because I…want to watch. I haven't been in touch because I'm training to be a Healer and I don't have time to owl you. I'm fine thank you. How are you two?" Hermione asked, and Ginny pushed Harry over a seat so Hermione could sit down.  
"I'm fine," Harry replied.  
"Me too!" Ginny said cheerily, but her smile quickly disappeared from her face as she looked up at the stage. "Who is that? Is…is that Ron?"

Sure enough, Ron was walking out onto the stage. Silence filled the audience, and Hermione wanted to cry. She couldn't go through with singing now…but he was there…and he was going to sing. But she didn't know for sure that it would be for her.  
He opened his mouth, and the words poured out, crystal clear like the dew on grass in the morning.

"Empty spaces fill me up with holes  
Distant faces with no place left to go  
Without you within me I can't find no rest  
Where I'm going is anybody's guess.

"I've tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete.

"Voices tell me I should carry on  
But I am swimming in an ocean all alone  
Baby, my baby  
It's written on your face  
You still wonder if we made a big mistake.

"I've tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete.

"I don't mean to drag it on, but I can't seem to let you go  
I don't wanna make you face this world alone  
I wanna let you go.

"I've tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete.

"Incomplete."

Harry put a hand on Hermione's, and Ginny put an arm around her. Hermione was crying hysterically, as Ron walked off the stage. Hermione threw Ginny's arm off, and Harry's hand off, and ran out of the building. Ron didn't even see her leave.

Ron stepped down off the stage and took a seat next to Ginny and Harry, who looked both shocked and upset. "What's wrong?" he asked them. "Where's Hermione, I could've sworn I saw her with you two."  
Harry smiled weakly, and Ginny patted Ron's back. "She saw your performance," Harry explained."  
"But she started bawling her eyes out afterwards. We don't know why. What did you do to her Ron? She left, she's not here. What did you do to her?" Ginny demanded.  
"I didn't do anything…I had asked her to dinner awhile ago…yesterday. But she told me no," Ron sighed.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other, but their head's shot back to the stage as a girl with bushy hair, and very red eyes, and a nose worthy of Rudolph the Reindeer started singing.

"You gotta be out there  
You gotta be somewhere  
Wherever you are  
I'm waiting…  
Cause there are these nights when  
I sing myself to sleep  
And I'm hoping my dreams bring  
You close to me  
Are you listening?

"Hear me I'm crying out  
I'm ready now  
Turn my world upside down  
Find me  
I'm lost inside this crowd  
It's getting loud  
I need you to see  
I'm screaming for you to please  
Hear me

"Can you hear me?

"I used to be scared of  
Letting someone in  
But it gets so lonely  
Being on my own  
With no one to talk to and  
No one to hold me  
I'm not always strong  
Oh I need you here

"Are you listening?  
I'm restless and wild  
I fall but I try  
I need someone to understand  
Can you hear me?  
I'm lost in my thoughts  
And baby I've fought  
For all that I've got  
Can you hear me?

"Hear me  
Hear me  
Hear me  
Can you hear me?

"Hear me  
Hear me  
Hear me  
Can you hear me?  
Oh, oh...

"Hear me  
Hear me  
Hear me..."

Harry was shocked, Ginny was stunned, and Ron might as well have fainted. She i did /i care about him. She walked off the stage, and over to Ron, looking incredibly nervous. She smiled lightly, and cleared her throat.  
"So when do you want to do that dinner?" she asked him, and Ron stood up, bent over slightly, and kissed her. Her hand moved towards his hair and she began to play with it as he kissed her. They heard "ooh's" and "aww's" behind them, and they separated. A round of applause surrounded them, and they looked down at Harry and Ginny, who held each other's hands.

"Did you get it?" a voice yelled from the back of the room.  
"Yep!" another yelled in reply. Fred and George Weasley stood at the back of the room, both standing on top of chairs. George held a camera, and was examining it. "I think so…"  
So, you're finally together?" they shouted in unison to Ron and Hermione.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then back at Fred and George and smiled. "Yup!" they yelled, and kissed once more, before leaving, hand-in-hand, never to find out who had won the contest. For, in their eyes, they both won.

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Author's Note: Oh my gosh! I totally submitted the wrong document! I am so sorry! Holy bananas, I've never done anything that stupid in my life! I am so sorry! I totally wish I owned all this. But sadly I don't. J.K. Rowling is that lucky duck that owns it. The songs belong to Kelly Clarkson and the Backstreet Boys. ('Hear Me' is Kelly Clarkson's, 'Incomplete' is Backstreet Boys'.)

I hope you all liked it. It was fun writing, and took me about two hours. I have a lot of free time.

I would really appreciate some reviews. I don't usually get a bunch of reviews, and I would love for this to get a few. I'd cherish you all and maybe write a sequel if you're lucky.


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